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Auto alternatives for the 21st centuryFri, 09 Dec 2016 05:00:54 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.4Honda And GM Reportedly Wrapping Up Deal To Co-Develop PHEV Techhttp://www.hybridcars.com/honda-and-gm-reportedly-wrapping-up-deal-to-co-develop-phev-tech/
http://www.hybridcars.com/honda-and-gm-reportedly-wrapping-up-deal-to-co-develop-phev-tech/#commentsTue, 05 Jan 2016 17:46:36 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=386105If news from Japan is correct, Honda and General Motors are in the final stages of a proposed tie-up to co-develop plug-in hybrids. The two automakers since Summer 2013 have been collaborating on hydrogen fuel cell vehicle technology for which they are the top two patent holders. A move to increase the alliance – in […]

A move to increase the alliance – in PHEVs and also autonomous tech – is now in the offing says the English-language version of The Yomiuri Shimbun.

Without naming the source of its otherwise unequivocal report, the publication says that by sharing resources Honda and GM stand to undercut competitors prices while staying ahead of tightening regulations.

Noted also was Honda reportedly credits GM with being further along in PHEV development.

“Honda was originally planning to release PHVs on its own in the United States in 2018,” says the report. “With the partnership, the company aims to add GM’s know-how regarding PHV development to its own eco-cars, because GM is said to be more advanced in the field.”

Could we thus within a couple years see a Honda plug-in hybrid with a discrete badge that says Voltec Inside? This is unknown, but Honda has promised a 40-mile range PHEV by 2018 and the report now says plans may have shifted.

To date, Honda has been mainly experimental with production battery electric and plug-in hybrid cars. Its limited-market Fit EV is now discontinued, and the 2014 Accord PHEV was also limited market and also came and went.

2014 Accord PHEV.

The Accord PHEV had but 13 miles EV range because it was essentially an add-on measure with 6.7-kwh battery occupying much room in the trunk.

In October 2014, Honda launched its non-plug-in hybrid Accord based on the same architecture albeit with much smaller battery and no significant EV range.

Notable are these cars’ powertrains are not at all inferior with regard to energy efficiency to what General Motors has in the Volt.

On the contrary, the midsized Accord PHEV’s 115 MPGe (29 kwh/100 mi) clearly beats both the compact first-generation Volt and second-generation Volt in ability to utilize battery energy for propulsion. Their dual-motor hybrid systems are actually gee-whiz technology worthy of a Popular Science feature using the motors in lieu of an actual transmission.

Note the larger Accord PHEV clearly edges out Voltec’s efficiency even for the second-gen Volt.

Last month Honda told HybridCars.com that while the 47-mpg Accord Hybrid will sit out 2016, an improved version is due the year following.

So would Honda scrap its system for a new plug-in hybrid and go to what GM has? the Accord plug-in hybrid is a blended PHEV, and a firm press of the accelerator would always kick on the gas unlike with the unique “extended-range electric” Volt.

The 2015 Volt could go an unofficial 40 miles – Honda’s target by 2018 – and the 2016 is rated for 53. The Chevrolets also compromise interior room with a large T-shaped battery dominating the center tunnel front and back, a concession Honda may not be willing to make and instead a PHEV-optimized design may be what it has in the works.

Certainly GM has learned lessons it could pass along to Honda, but assuming the two do collaborate as reported, a primary driver may be less need for respective intellectual property, and more to save costs.

2017 Chevy Bolt mule. Would it make as much sense or more for Honda to tap GM and its LG-Chem connection for its expertise in BEVs?

“The companies believe their tie-up can shorten the development period and enhance their advantage in price negotiations with auto parts makers by boosting the volume of their procurement,” says the report. “The two companies are considering the joint manufacture of PHVs and FCVs as well, in addition to their development.

But for now, this is no more than a rumor. The Yomiuri Shimbun did not cite its source as it declared final stages of negotiations between Honda and GM, and neither carmaker has announced anything definitive.

However also, secrecy is part and parcel of this business, and the need for some form of cost/IP sharing is certainly in place between the two companies already partnered on FCVs.

“I know of no reason to affirm or dispute the Honda-GM tieup, but it seems reasonable,” said Michigan-based analyst Alan Baum. “It would be even more credible if LG Chem was going to supply systems to both.”

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/honda-and-gm-reportedly-wrapping-up-deal-to-co-develop-phev-tech/feed/0Revenge of the Two-Mode Hybridhttp://www.hybridcars.com/revenge-of-the-two-mode-hybrid/
http://www.hybridcars.com/revenge-of-the-two-mode-hybrid/#commentsThu, 05 Nov 2015 16:46:17 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=364306In recent months General Motors has rolled-out a compelling hybrid transmission architecture at the heart of the 2016 Volt, 2016 Malibu hybrid and a possibly related transmission for the 2016 RWD Cadillac CT6 plugin hybrid. This new hybrid system helps the Volt launch to 30 mph like a Tesla after stops at traffic signals and […]

]]>In recent months General Motors has rolled-out a compelling hybrid transmission architecture at the heart of the 2016 Volt, 2016 Malibu hybrid and a possibly related transmission for the 2016 RWD Cadillac CT6 plugin hybrid.

This new hybrid system helps the Volt launch to 30 mph like a Tesla after stops at traffic signals and helps the mid-size Malibu sedan get a stunningly good 47 mpg EPA estimate in combined city and highway driving while pumping out up to 182 horsepower.

How did GM get to where it is today?

A Brief History of Power-Split Hybrid Engineering

The Lohner-Porsche hybrid car, 1900 .

Thompson Ramo Wooldridge Inc. (TRW)

Although an early hybrid car was designed and sold back in 1900 by Ferdinand Porsche, the modern hybrid era had its stirrings in the late 1960s at an aerospace, credit reporting, and automotive parts conglomerate named TRW. Researchers there invented the modern idea of a power-split hybrid using a planetary gear set, a gasoline engine, and two electric motors. Its 1971 patent, US 3566717, and the closely related US 3732751 issued in 1973 refer to the smaller motor as the “speeder” since it effectively determined the rpm speed of the gas engine and the larger motor is the “torquer” since it added or removed torque going to the wheels of the car.

This was the era of the Apollo moon flights that used spacecraft computers far less capable than today’s Apple wristwatch. Using electric motors and a battery pack to take the place of fixed gears and clutches was an interesting concept but in order to be efficient and useful such a transmission needs to be carefully controlled. A hybrid transmission control computer was not a realistic possibility at that time so its design was not really practical for use in an ordinary consumer vehicle.

Partnership for a New Generation Vehicle

In 1993, shortly after taking office, the PNGV was created by President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore. The program excluded non-U.S. companies and this particularly worried the Japanese car companies like Toyota.

GM, Ford, and Chrysler collaborated on research under PNGV, but each company built its own high mileage prototype car. GM’s car, the Precept, scored the highest EPA mileage estimate at 80 mpg under the more lenient test cycles of that era. It used a 40 kW (54 horsepower) 1.3-liter RWD diesel engine mounted in the back of the car with a 35 kW (47 horsepower) electric motor driving the front wheels using power from a generator hooked off of the engine. They experimented with both NiMH and lithium polymer battery packs. This was a type of approach known as a “through the road” parallel hybrid since the engine powered the rear wheels and the electric motor powered the front wheels.

During this period, GM continued exploring and prototyping other hybrid designs. With the benefit of computer microprocessors, it focused on developing and extending the TRW idea from two decades earlier. It built an awkward prototype and filed a patent in February 1995 titled “One-mode, input-split, parallel, hybrid transmission”. This patent, US 5558595, described many various permutations of how an engine, two motors, and the wheels could be hooked up to one or two planetary gear sets in order to create an Electrically Variable Transmission (EVT or eCVT).

2001 Toyota Prius.

Toyota and the Prius

Meanwhile, in response to the U.S. government’s PNGV effort, Toyota established an internal project code-named G21 that eventually resulted in the design of the Prius. In January, 1995, a team of Toyota engineers began intensive meetings to research and design the transmission for the new car. According to a book titled “The Prius That Shook the World” by Hideshi Itazaki, they carefully studied up to 80 different known approaches. While these meeting were taking place, GM filed its “one-mode” patent which includes as one of its design alternatives the actual approach that Toyota eventually decided on for the Prius. After narrowing the field down to four alternatives, Toyota chose the basic engineering design for the Prius hybrid transmission at a meeting on June 30, 1995. Toyota did not complete the filing of its own Prius hybrid transmission patent, US 5907191, until 1997 although it initiated the filing process on Sept. 24, 1996 which was the day on which the GM one-mode patent was officially issued. The first Prius went on sale in December, 1997 in Japan. A later, modestly updated, version of that model of Prius was first sold in the United States and Europe in the summer of 2000 as a 2001 model.

Attack of the Clone: Is this the 2017 Prius Plug-in Two-Mode Transmission?

No Prius transmission has ever used clutches but it turns out that Toyota now has a freshly minted “Two-Mode” patent derived from the 3rd generation Prius Hybrid Synergy Drive. The patent, published on January 1, 2015, is US 20150005125.

Is this the hybrid system Toyota’s customers are looking for?

The new design uses 2 (or optionally 3) clutches to support the original Prius EVT mode plus a higher-speed EVT mode and a dual motor EV mode intended for a “vehicle such as a plug-in hybrid vehicle, which is frequently placed in an EV drive mode”. The similarities to the Chevrolet Volt transmission cannot go unnoticed.

Comparing the 2016 Volt transmission with Toyota’s new PHEV patent.

Although the two designs are similar, there are important differences.

Both designs achieve an additive dual motor EV mode by preventing the gas engine from spinning backwards. Toyota does it by engaging a clutch to connect the engine on the first planetary gear set to the planet carrier on the second gear set and then engaging a clutch brake to ground that carrier to the transmission case. GM does this instead with a “one-way” clutch directly on the ring gear of the first planetary gear set in order to ground the engine to the transmission case.

Toyota, like GM, also includes an EVT mode to improve efficiency at higher vehicle speeds. Both designs tie the output of its two planetary gear sets together and to the wheels — Toyota uses the ring gears for that purpose while GM uses the planetary carriers. Both Toyota and GM tie its electric motors to the Sun gears. That leaves the remaining gear on the first planetary gear set for the gas engine. For the remaining gear on the second planetary gear set, both designs include a clutch that can brake that gear to the transmission case and another clutch that can connect that gear to the first planetary set. But to where? Toyota connects it up to the same gear as the gas engine. GM connects it up to the same gear as the smaller electric motor (which it calls MGA).

There are other various details to be pondered. GM’s design gains a single fixed ratio gear but Toyota’s does not. Toyota also says that a one-way clutch might be added in parallel to the clutch brake on the planetary carrier of the second planetary gear set.

The second-generation car, introduced as the 2004 Prius hatchback, used the same basic design but was tweaked with stronger motors, newer battery cells, and an improved gas engine. Toyota later introduced a hybrid version of its small 2006 model year Highlander SUV. The hybrid transmission for the Highlander (and its Lexus twin, the RX 400h) was based on the Prius design but Toyota added an additional planetary gear set after the original power-split gear set. The new gear set acts as a “Motor Speed Reduction Unit” for the larger electric motor. Instead of being directly hooked up at a 1:1 ratio to the output axle it is instead hooked up to the new gear set which acted as a reduction gear allowing the motor to turn approximately 2.5 times for every turn of the output axle. This multiplies the turning force or torque of the motor and allows it to operate more effectively. The same basic design with a slight tweak was also used in the 2006 Camry hybrid and the third generation Prius hatchback when it came out in the 2010 model year.

Ford also began developing a hybrid design based on the TRW ideas and brought out a hybrid version of its Escape small SUV in 2005. Because of the close similarities in the design of the Toyota and Ford hybrids the companies agreed to swap certain hybrid patents.

Paice Back and Forth

Also during the 1990’s, an inventor and engineer named Alex Severinsky developed several hybrid-related designs and patented them beginning with a 1992 filing that was issued in 1994 as US 5343970. Severinsky’s biographical background, where he teaches at the University of Maryland School of Mechanical Engineering, says “Dr. Severinsky is the inventor of the Hyperdrive power-amplified internal combustion engine power train used in the Toyota Prius and other vehicles …”

After the Prius became a commercial success the company Severinsky founded, Paice, filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Toyota in 2004 alleging that the Prius design infringed on this and two other patents.

His patented hybrid design did not use the same kind of TRW-style power-split planetary gear and used one motor rather than two. It used clutches and a type of electrically actuated bevel-geared limited-slip differential the patent refers to as a “controllable torque transfer unit” to allow switching between the use of a single electric motor, a fixed ratio gearing between the gas engine and the wheels, or a combination of the two.

A federal court jury came to the conclusion that Toyota’s Prius design did not literally infringe upon Severinsky’s patents and this was upheld on appeal. However, through a legal concept known as the “doctrine of equivalents”, the jury found Toyota liable for infringing on 2 out of the 40 claims in his first patent.

One claim covered the concept of a hybrid vehicle powertrain with an engine, a single AC motor and inverter, and a battery pack. The remaining claim covered the idea of a battery that “supplies up to about 75 amps”. Elsewhere the patent suggests the pack should be well over 500 volts in a vehicle the size and weight of a Prius and the battery “is capable of delivering between about 30 and about 50 amperes, and possibly up to 75 amperes.” The Prius battery was 201 volts and delivered up to about 100 amperes. Beginning with the 2004 Prius, Toyota’s hybrids contain a DC-DC voltage converter circuit that can step up the battery voltage to above 500 volts for improved efficiency in the electric motors.

Paice attempted to block all imports of certain Toyota hybrid cars in 2009. Toyota (and Ford with its similar hybrid system) eventually agreed on a financial settlement. Toyota capitulated shortly before an import ban on the Prius might have been issued and ultimately licensed 23 of Paice’s patents. At the same time, Ford also reached a settlement with Paice and may have licensed fewer of Paice’s patents or only the single patent that was found to be indirectly infringed in the 2004 lawsuit against Toyota. In 2010, Paice sued Hyundai and Kia after they entered the hybrid car market and they subsequently settled. In 2014, Paice again sued Ford for infringing its hybrid patents. That case is continuing although the U.S. patent office recently ruled on September 28, 2015 that 2 of the patents in contention in that case are invalid because of “prior art”.

GM has never been sued by Paice for infringing on its hybrid patents.

The Two-Mode Hybrid Transmission

A San Francisco bus using the Allison Transmission hybrid system.

After filing its patent on the “one-mode” design in February, 1995, GM went on to innovate and patent a variety of hybrid designs using two, three, and even four planetary gear sets. These designs used typical automatic transmission clutches to allow the power flowing between the gas engine, the electric motors, and the wheels to be hooked together in different ways while the vehicle was driving in order to optimize for changing speed and torque requirements. From many design variations patented over the following years, GM ultimately created its initial products from two of these extended designs.

GM’s first power-split hybrid product was a transmission for transit buses first deployed for testing in 2001 not long after the first Prius arrived in the US. This design, now sold through a GM spinoff company known as Allison Transmission, has been the largest selling hybrid transit bus transmission, and is one of the two major hybrid bus systems sold today. It is sometimes known as the Two Mode EVT design. The two transmissions based on this design are the H 40 EP, and the somewhat heavier-duty H 50 EP which handles up to 330 horsepower from a matching Cummins diesel engine. The design is protected by US 5931757 issued in 1999. It describes 3 planetary gear sets and 2 clutches that allow for two different modes of operation — an EVT mode used at lower (city) speeds and an alternate EVT mode used at higher (highway) speeds for better efficiency — thus the name “two-mode”.

The BMW Active Hybrid X6 using the Two-Mode hybrid transmission.

Global Hybrid Cooperation

GM later modified that design for use in SUVs and pickup trucks by adding an extra 2 clutches which effectively created four different fixed gears along with the original 2 EVT modes. This design is sometimes known as the AHS-2 design. It used two 60 kW (80 horsepower) electric motors and was matched with engines rated up to 300 kW (402 horsepower) and 358 kW (479 horsepower) combined system output and up to 6,200 pounds of towing capability.

In 2005 GM formed a consortium of companies known as the Global Hybrid Cooperation that included Chrysler, BMW, and Mercedes Benz. Vehicles based on this design were sold between the 2008-2013 model years. These companies eventually cancelled this hybrid version of their vehicles due to slow sales. The vehicles based on this transmission architecture were designed as “power hybrids” that improved vehicle performance while also improving efficiency as opposed to “efficiency hybrids” that included engine downsizing and control software designed to optimize primarily for the highest mpg. Most hybrid customers have focused on maximizing fuel economy and sales of power hybrids from various makers have generally been less successful, even for Toyota and its Lexus brand.

GM’s “New” 2016 Hybrid Transmission Design

For its newest hybrid cars coming out under the 2016 model year we are told that GM’s engineers evaluated many different approaches using sophisticated computer simulations to choose its new hybrid architecture. But however it got there, GM’s “new” hybrid architecture is actually a “Two-Mode” design that was conceived and patented some 15 years ago but never used. GM has now dusted off this old design and put a new shine on it.

2016 Chevrolet Volt.

The original patent filing titled “Hybrid Electric Powertrain Including a Two-Mode Electrically Variable Transmission” is US patent US 6478705 and was filed on July 19, 2001 and issued on Nov., 12, 2002. The patent describes its design as providing “a hybrid electric powertrain that exhibits the advantages of the … [transit bus] powertrain, but with reduced mechanical complexity and improved ease of control.”

A newer patent filing titled “Multimode Electrically Variable Transmission Having a Ferrite Magnet Motor and Method of Operating the Same” is US 8602938 and was filed on July 6, 2012 and was issued on December 10, 2013. From an engineering perspective, this patent is largely the same as the earlier one.

GM has seemingly gone out of its way to avoid mentioning any similarity between the new 2016 hybrids and its previous “Two-Mode” hybrid transmission era. For instance, the 12 page SAE technical paper on the 2016 Volt hybrid design never mentions “Two-Mode”. Neither does the 2013 patent filing that largely restates the transmission design of the 2002 patent.

In the language used 15 years ago, Two-Mode has “input-split” and “compound-split” EVT modes optimized for city and highway driving but the newer transmission patent calls these “Low Extended Range” and “High Extended Range”. The newer patent’s “Multimode” name is more precise since the “Two-Mode” designs have always had one or more fixed ratio modes in addition to its EVT modes.

A basic planetary gear set.

As illustrated above, a simple planetary gear set consists of 3 geared components meshed together which have a fixed ratio to one another. A so-called Sun gear is in the middle and planetary gears connected to a common carrier plate rotate around it while also meshing with an outer ring with inward facing gear teeth.

In the interest in simplifying things and focusing on the higher level concepts that is the last time you will see actual gears in this article. Instead, we will show groups of three colored boxes representing these gears — a red box containing an “R” for the Ring, a blue box containing a “C” for the planet Carrier, and a green box containing an “S” for the Sun. A vertical group of three boxes represents one planetary gear set like the one pictured above but the ordering does not represent the physical arrangement of the gears.

And now let’s look at some power-split architectures.

GM’s 2002 patent (upper) versus its 2013 patent (lower).

The upper illustration shows the hybrid design taken from the 2002 patent and below it is the equivalent illustration used in the new 2013 patent filing. They use different stylistic conventions and superficially look very different but to a mechanical engineer they illustrate the same basic design showing how to hook up a gas engine, two electric motors, and a final drive output via two planetary gear sets with three clutches.

GM’s 2002 hybrid patent versus its 2013 patent.

By using a simpler diagram style it is readily apparent that the old and new patents describe the same basic hybrid architecture. The newer patent describes the potential use of ferrite (iron) instead of so-called rare earth metals in the permanent magnets of the smaller of the two motors. It also describes specific possible variations in the style of clutch used between the engine and the ring gear of the first planetary gear set. The original patent shows an engine clutch but does not describe its use or implementation. The newer patent shows that the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) can be “grounded” or locked to the transmission case.

In actual vehicles, the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu does not have an engine clutch and it uses rare earth metals in the smaller motor. The 2016 Volt uses a one-way engine clutch which enables its “dual motor” EV mode that uses both motors together. Without the one-way clutch, the Volt’s smaller motor would spin the gas engine backwards if it were energized during EV driving. Having the clutch allows the smaller motor to push against the locked up ring gear so all of its spin is transferred additively to the second planetary gear set together with its larger motor. The details regarding the RWD hybrid transmission in the 2016 Cadillac CT6 are not yet available.

Toyota Camry hybrid versus the Chevrolet Malibu hybrid.

As the illustration above shows, today’s Toyota, Ford, and GM hybrid designs have converged on the same basic approach. The GM hybrid transmission is shown illustrating the power flow when the clutches are in the Low Extended Range EVT position which is also used for EV driving when the gas engine is off. The Volt’s one-way clutch, used for dual motor EV mode, is not shown. The Ford and Toyota transmissions do not have clutches and are always in this configuration.

Ford and Toyota have also chosen to have the gas engine power come in on the planetary carrier and go out to the wheels on the ring gear. GM swaps that around and chooses to have the gas engine come in on the ring gear and have the output to the wheels go out on the planetary carrier.

For the record, Ford’s newest hybrid transmission and the recently announced fourth generation Toyota hybrid system for the 2016 Prius do not use a second planetary gear set to perform the gear reduction from the larger motor to the output axle. They perform the equivalent large motor gear reduction using a different “parallel” gearing style.

Unlike the Toyota and Ford transmissions, GM uses a multimode design that can also set its clutches into a fixed gear ratio mode and into a High Extended Range mode used mostly to gain improved efficiency at highway speeds.

The first generation 2011-2015 Volt and the 2014 and 2016 Cadillac ELR share a uniquely different design. The ELR and older Volts have a series hybrid mode where there is no mechanical path to the wheels which they use where the new Volt uses its Low Extended Range power-split mode. The ELR and older Volts also have a highway speed power-split mode that is technically different but similar to the new Volt’s High Extended Range. The ELR and older Volts do not have a fixed ratio mode.

Several other car makers like Hyundai, Volkswagen, and previously Honda have used a parallel hybrid approach that uses a single electric motor connected with the engine and then combine that with a conventional transmission. This is easier to design but typically is somewhat less efficient in city driving. It also retains the greater mechanical complexity of traditional transmissions. Honda is now shifting to a unique new hybrid architecture with the Honda Accord hybrid that uses a combination of a series mode under about 43 mph and a fixed ratio gear above that speed when the gas engine is running.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/revenge-of-the-two-mode-hybrid/feed/0Will GM Expand the 2016 Volt’s Market, or Will it Remain a ‘Geographical’ Niche?http://www.hybridcars.com/will-gm-expand-the-2016-volts-market-or-will-it-remain-a-geographical-niche/
http://www.hybridcars.com/will-gm-expand-the-2016-volts-market-or-will-it-remain-a-geographical-niche/#commentsFri, 02 Jan 2015 17:19:02 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=234930As the January 12 Detroit revelation of the 2016 Chevrolet Volt draws near, people are wondering whether the first plug-in car to be fully redesigned for a second generation will remain a limited-market niche product. General Motors’ Mark Reuss has twice said in teaser videos Chevrolet will attract customers it never did before with the […]

]]>As the January 12 Detroit revelation of the 2016 Chevrolet Volt draws near, people are wondering whether the first plug-in car to be fully redesigned for a second generation will remain a limited-market niche product.

General Motors’ Mark Reuss has twice said in teaser videos Chevrolet will attract customers it never did before with the improved Volt. The automaker’s FaceBook page also says its New Year’s resolution is “To change the future of driving with the all-new Next Gen Volt.”

But is this marketing hype? Is it one more example of bluster that will not be held to scrutiny by a general public already not that passionate about the car?

In a piece by Forbes which interviewed Green Car Reports editor John Voelcker, little evidence was given that the answer will not be a qualified yes. It was suggested based on GM’s own more-telling statements that the 2016 Volt will remain a minority product catering to progressives in California, the Pacific Northwest, Northeast and few other places.

Despite cheerleading now going forth, and the fact the Volt is offered in all 50 states, the head of Chevrolet’s marketing effort was quoted in August saying Volt is not a mass-market car; it’s not for everyone and its maker is treating it accordingly.

“It’s an impressive product in its design, performance and technology. It’s a real halo for the brand. It’s done a tremendous amount to conquest new buyers, and they have [high] incomes like Corvette buyers. Customer satisfaction is through the roof,” said Chevrolet Chief Marketing Officer Tim Mahoney. “But the reality is that there’s a finite market for Volt, and it’s geographical. California is the epicenter; it’s not about selling Volt in Oklahoma. And we’ve gotten smarter about deploying resources for the vehicle.”

Change of Tune?

Once upon a time, there’d been talk by former GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz that the Volt was to leapfrog the country’s best-selling hybrid, the Toyota Prius.

Bob Lutz.

Hope and hoopla surrounding the highly lauded Volt – that political candidates and others subsequently seemed to love to hate – were that the Volt would more-substantially help wean America away from oil.

“Basically, it was born out of my frustration at the deification of Toyota, because of the Prius. All the senior executives of Toyota were about to be officially anointed as saints,” said Lutz to SFGate in November 2011, adding he was irked by praise Toyota received. “’They don’t have the same profit motive we do, and they really care about the environment, and this is the car of tomorrow, and dumb old Detroit obviously couldn’t have done this.’ I was gagging on this stuff, because it was all so patently untrue.”

But in 2011 GM revised initially optimistic sales targets of 60,000 global units for 2012 to matching supply to demand, and last year HybridCars.com actually reported the story ahead of stories cited by Forbes that the Volt was a niche like the Corvette.

Since then, statements in April that Forbes cited by Dora Norwicki and in August as mentioned by Mahoney have confirmed a consistent message notwithstanding teaser videos and Facebook posts.

Pricing and positioning will have much to do with how the new Volt is received, as will how competent the actual product is.

2016 Volt’s Potential?

Forbes asked Voelcker about the 2016’s pricing, and he answered in a straightforward manner.

“Marketing is one of a handful of issues that will affect the success of the 2016 Volt,” said Voelcker. “Another is price: Can Chevy price a base-level Volt at $29,995, which gets it into the consideration set of far more people than its current $34,995?”

Forbes also asked Voelcker what constitutes a “mainstream” vehicle? To this he replied it depends on how one defines mass market.

GM sells far higher volumes of Silverado/Sierra pickup trucks, Cruzes, while the Spark sold only 34,000 and Suburban only 51,000. These latter levels, said Voelcker, would be reasonable to expect from the Volt in 2016 or 2017. (Through November this year, Volt is at 17,315 sales and Leaf is at 27,098 – expect December sales likely in the teens for Volt and over 2,000 for Leaf.)

To help give it a competitive edge, for a couple years or more GM has said it aims to slash production costs for the new Volt. Also hoped is it will deliver more. The new car has a 1.5-liter Ecotec generator that runs now on regular, and its electric range and fuel efficiency in charge sustaining mode are both known to be improved.

“We’re really going to excite the whole current Volt owner group but also we’re going to get customers we never gotbefore here, with a car that’s really something special,” says Mark Reuss.

How much improved is the question, as is whether the rear seat is truly open for three passengers making it a five-seater.

Whether these were ever deal breakers for the core fans is in question, but price and what the general public has perceived is being offered for a Chevy compact has been a deal breaker for many.

But GM has carried forth the new car, apparently has done a great job with the 2016 in improving aspects first adopters said were important. Like all automakers, GM also is working toward electrification to prepare for tightening fleet efficiency mandates by the federal government and California.

GM also was once castigated as the company that ”killed the electric car,” the original Volt helped reverse that bad rap, and had been created out of envy for Tesla’s Roadster when in 2006 Lutz asked how Tesla could use li-ion batteries, and GM had nothing like it.

Passion or Obligation?

Today questions remain whether the Volt in GM’s eyes has long-since transitioned from once-upon-a-time potential Prius beater to sacred cow the automaker is now committed to, as well as a necessary product working toward meeting mandates.

Unknown is whether GM’s revision has been under promised and will over deliver. It may very well be a new beginning for a car that’s been a focal point of ire and criticism as well as love and affection by those who “get it,” as Voelcker observed.

There is little doubt that GM’s engineers have taken pride in the revised Volt.

The Volt has topped consumer satisfaction ratings, and many have said it was treated too harshly, or is flat-out not understood or even known to exist even four years after its December 2010 launch.

GM seemingly tucked its tail between its legs after the 2012 election, highly publicized 2011-2012 issues with a crash-tested car’s fire, and sales that fell well short of projections.

Now its present marketer, Mahoney, repeats the Volt is essentially like a green Corvette for the brand as the company also tries to build excitement for it.

Notable also is GM has not spun off any crossovers or SUVs or other variants from its at-times celebrated “Voltec” powertrain architecture.

But even on its way out, the 2015 Volt offers an unofficial 40 miles (38 officially) of all-electric range from its 17.1-kwh battery. The closest plug-in hybrid competitors are the Ford Fusion and C-Max Energi siblings with 19 miles.

Clearly “Voltec” powertrains have much to offer, but much may depend on how the second go-around for the Volt goes, and this is in the hands now of GM’s marketers.

And to really keep perspective, remember, the Volt is just one conspicuous product in the automaker’s alternative energy portfolio. Other doubts about its overall commitment are suggested by holes in its present product assortment – mild hybrids, no full hybrids, one electric compliance car (Spark EV), a diesel Cruze, the Volt and one expensive and now heavily discounted Cadillac ELR.

What GM’s ultimate alternative energy plans are thus remains an even bigger question as it now seeks to sell the new Volt its engineers have just improved.

In spite of other foibles, will the 2016 Volt inspire a new era for this plug-in gas-electric powertrain or as Forbes wrote, will it be “deferred” from “mainstream” status for the foreseeable future?

The system pioneered in the first-generation Volt introduced December 2010 has been entirely re-thought, and updates have been made to improve battery chemistry, T-pack configuration, electric drive components and range-extending gas-powered generator.

A higher percentage of U.S. content is also being brought to bear.

The new car will be seen in January, but details released today imply GM is serious about improving the car that simultaneously performed less than hoped for in the sales arena, while winning many die-hard fans as well.

The Volt was already the top-EV-range plug-in hybrid with double that of the nearest U.S. competitor, and more range is coming says the automaker, without releasing the specific range in miles.

Battery

GM pared weight and cost from the battery by replacing the old LG Chem chemistry with revised LG Chem formulation good for 20-percent better storage capacity by volume.

The previous pack had already been well engineered with thermal management, and out of the total kilowatt-hours – it started at 16.0, grew to 16.5 and now 17.0-kwh – a conservative percentage was held back to ensure longevity and GM says it did err on the safe side.

GM says around 20 million battery cells have been produced, there are over 69,000 Volts on the road, and problems have occurred at the rate of less than two per million cells produced.

“It would have been simple for us to tweak our existing battery to provide nominally increased range, but that’s not what our customers want,” said Nitz meaning they could have reduced the buffer of unused storage capacity to the existing pack to improve range without hurting anything. “So our team created a new battery system that will exceed the performance expectations of most of our owners.”

While other companies like Tesla, BMW and Nissan and others are out there with battery using cars of their own, GM three times described its battery technology as “industry-leading.”

Drive Unit

The Volt’s new drive unit will be manufactured at its Powertrain plant in Warren, Mich.

Just as GM did not state the new Volt’s electric range, it is not just yet spelling out fuel or electric efficiency and speed capability, but does say efficiency is superior, and electric acceleration is 20 percent improved.

Drive unit.

The new system is being touted for less noise, vibration, and harshness, as well as superior packaging, and is 5 to 12 percent more efficient while being 100 pounds (45 kg) lighter.

“The Traction Power Inverter Module, which manages power flow between the battery and the electric drive motors, has been directly built into the drive unit to reduce mass, size and build complexity while further improving efficiency,” said the company of a thorough redesign.

Electric motor.

Now both motors can be utilized together for a “boost in performance,” but GM’s Manager, Electrification Technology Communications, Kevin Kelly clarified this. When asked whether 20-percent improved accerleration meant 0-60 time is 20-percent better, he said GM is not necessarily positioning the Volt to win more stoplight drag races.

“It means we have improved overall acceleration, not specifically 0-60 time,” said Kelly. “In fact, most of the improvement comes at the lower end of the acceleration curve, as that’s where owners told us they wanted better response.”

GM also cut use of rare earths, and one motor is rare-earth-free.

Genset

The range-extending engine is a 1.5-liter non-turbo Ecotec four-cylinder that runs on regular gasoline instead of premium as did the 1.4-liter before.

“Using the 1.5-liter engine as the range extender assures owners they can go anywhere, anytime without having to worry about whether they have enough power to go through the Rocky Mountains or on a spontaneous weekend getaway,” Nitz said. “It’s all about keeping the promise that the Volt is a no-compromise electric vehicle.”

GM’s move follows that of the third-generation Toyota Prius which in 2010 increased the engine displacement from 1.5 liters to 1.8 liters and in doing so the engine did not have to rev as high, worked in its sweet spot more often, and netted improved fuel efficiency.

Looking Good

GM said it upgraded the new car based on real-world details gleaned from a case study of 300 model year 2011 and 2012 Volts in California for over 30 months. GM knows its battery was reliable, delivered EPA spec or better for EV range and fuel efficiency in charge-sustaining mode.

However where it fell perceptibly short next to the country’s best-selling hybrid, the 50-mpg Prius, was in charge-sustaining mode and to add insult to injury, drivers had to buy premium fuel.

Volt fans have vehemently defended this saying the point is to stay off gas, and true enough, no plug-in gas-electric car can do this more effectively, Volts have averaged more EV miles than gas miles with long times between fill ups, but it was not a clear win in the eyes of some.

He did confirm however it will be a 2016 model year – something largely assumed, but not previously stated by GM, and the car is due not especially long from now.

“Next-gen Volt will launch sometime in second half of 2015,” Kelly said.

That the car’s powertrain is improved is clear. We’ll be looking to see if more revelations are forthcoming between now and when – as Kelly confirmed – the production-ready new Volt is shown at the North American International Auto Show in January.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/2016-volt-gets-improved-range-and-efficiency/feed/0Free Charging Station With ELR: Extended To Canadahttp://www.hybridcars.com/free-charging-station-with-elr-extended-to-canada/
http://www.hybridcars.com/free-charging-station-with-elr-extended-to-canada/#commentsWed, 17 Sep 2014 04:07:08 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=193474To help lure-in possible buyers, Cadillac Canada is offering a complimentary 240-volt home charging station and installation to early buyers of the 2014 ELR electrified luxury coupe. “The ELR’s blend of leading technology with provocative design and fun-to-drive performance is set to bring new buyers to Cadillac and to electrification itself,” said Uwe Ellinghaus, chief […]

]]>To help lure-in possible buyers, Cadillac Canada is offering a complimentary 240-volt home charging station and installation to early buyers of the 2014 ELR electrified luxury coupe.

“The ELR’s blend of leading technology with provocative design and fun-to-drive performance is set to bring new buyers to Cadillac and to electrification itself,” said Uwe Ellinghaus, chief marketing officer, Global Cadillac. “Professional installation of the fastest home-charging unit is a natural way to mark the introduction of the ELR to the luxury market.”

This offer mirrors the one already in place in the U.S. where Cadillac offers a free 240 volt Bosch charging station to the first 1,000 retail customers. This deal includes installation, up to a maximum of $3,000 for the charging station/installation combination.

Cadillac Canada did not publicly state in its press release how many early buyers would be eligible to receive this complimentary charging station.

The ELR shares most of its electrification technology with the Chevrolet Volt, known as the Voltec powertrain.

As with all Cadillac models in Canada, the ELR comes standard with Cadillac Shield, a comprehensive suite of owner benefits including Remote Vehicle Diagnostics, a Premium Care Maintenance program and 24/7 roadside assistance. In Canada, the ELR also comes with an extended battery and propulsion warranty of eight years or 160,000 km, whichever comes first, and a four-year or 80,000 km, whichever comes first, bumper-to-bumper limited warranty.

The brand added only specially trained and certified Cadillac dealers sell and service the ELR. Backing up the dealership experience, prospective customers and buyers of the ELR can take advantage of their own Cadillac ELR Ambassador.

In the U.S., some ELR dealers have been offering cheaper leases, down to $499 per month instead of the official $699 per month GM lease.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/free-charging-station-with-elr-extended-to-canada/feed/0GM Boss Says Gen-2 Volt To Get Better ‘Fuel Economy and Efficiency’http://www.hybridcars.com/gm-boss-says-gen-2-volt-to-get-better-fuel-economy-and-efficiency/
http://www.hybridcars.com/gm-boss-says-gen-2-volt-to-get-better-fuel-economy-and-efficiency/#commentsThu, 14 Aug 2014 13:38:13 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=179201Speaking to a group of former Buick employees, GM’s North America global product and supply chain executive vice president, Mark Reuss, said the pending generation 2 Volt will see “fuel economy and efficiency” increase. The report from yesterday of Reuss’ snippet of info did not hint how many miles electric range the new car would […]

]]>Speaking to a group of former Buick employees, GM’s North America global product and supply chain executive vice president, Mark Reuss, said the pending generation 2 Volt will see “fuel economy and efficiency” increase.

The report from yesterday of Reuss’ snippet of info did not hint how many miles electric range the new car would deliver. According to GM Authority, which gave the Reuss report, the new Volt will receive a 1.0-liter three-cylinder generator to replece the 1.4-liter four.

Not stated was whether Reuss himself said the 1.0-liter genset is a certainty. That news of a downsized genset followed Reuss’ brief economy/efficiency statement in away one could infer Reuss said it. But the news report did not specifically attribute the statement to Reuss.

Scant official vehicle spec information has been divulged by GM, except that the Volt exists, it will be shown January in Detroit, and it will improve on the Volt first launched for model year 2011.

Reports have gone out based on insiders speaking off the record, or snippets of hints given by industry people, including GM’s former CEO Dan Akerson.

Teaser image for the new Volt to be revealed in Detroit January 2015.

Akerson has said range could be up to 50-60 miles as he ws generally saying the next Volt needs to seriously out-do the present Volt. Already the Volt with 38 miles official EPA-rated EV range offers the highest among U.S. plug-in hybrids.

It’s believed also the Volt may receive a rear seat compatible with three abreast, for a five-person capacity instead of today’s four-seat configuration.

The Volt received a 17.1-kwh battery pack. This over long T-shaped assembly occupies the center tunnel area for now, so if GM does actually make a five seater, unknown is how the battery might be shaped, or if it would be an improved chemistry.

The new Volt is also being reported as a 2016, but GM’s Randy Fox specifically told HybridCars.com GM is not even saying when the new car wil come out, only that it will.

It’s very possible more news leaks will leak. Given GM did not EPA certify the new 17.1-kwh pack put in this year, it appears that expense was bypassed because as the 2015 model year may be the last for the original Volt.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/gm-boss-says-gen-2-volt-to-get-better-fuel-economy-and-efficiency/feed/0July Chevy Volt Sales Float Up With Rising GM Sales Tidehttp://www.hybridcars.com/july-chevy-volt-sales-float-up-with-rising-gm-sales-tide/
http://www.hybridcars.com/july-chevy-volt-sales-float-up-with-rising-gm-sales-tide/#commentsFri, 01 Aug 2014 19:16:21 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=175473Bolstered by a surge in SUV, pickup, and other mainstream vehicle sales, General Motors’ July sales overall were the highest they’ve been since 2007 – up 9 percent year-over-year, and the Chevy Volt was up 13 percent with 2,020 deliveries. The Volt sold relatively well considering its record, but GM is focused more on the […]

]]>Bolstered by a surge in SUV, pickup, and other mainstream vehicle sales, General Motors’ July sales overall were the highest they’ve been since 2007 – up 9 percent year-over-year, and the Chevy Volt was up 13 percent with 2,020 deliveries.

The Volt sold relatively well considering its record, but GM is focused more on the bread and butter cars that keep its bean counters happy. Its bigger sellers crested into the five-digit range, and the Chevy Cruze and Equinox sold above 20,000.

GM’s top seller in July? Helped by a 69-percent increase in fleet sales, the Silverado pickup did 42,097 and the Equinox was second to it with 25,321. The Volt’s 2,020 was down near the lowest, but it did outsell the Buick Regal’s 1,246, Cadillac XTS’ 1,939, Chevy Caprice’ 357, not to mention the Volt-based Cadillac ELR’s 188.

A while back GM ceased advertising the Volt outside of California and at tech events where it says would-be buyers will understand it, and has conceded it has sort of given up pushing the car as hard.

Nissan sold 3,019 Leafs in July.

Its in-house news report however was accentuating the positive.

“Sales of utility vehicles soared in July because American families feel better about the economy than they have in a long time, and they are finding an incredible variety of redesigned and all-new models in our showrooms,” said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president of Sales Operations. “Small, compact, medium, large – sales were strong across the board.”

Chevrolet’s 2015 Volt since July has a 17.1-kilowatt-hour battery, up from the 16.5-kwh rated at 38 miles electric range, the longest of any plug-in hybrid yet sold, including new releases from Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche costing much more.

Volt ads from the early days show GM really tried, but today it says Joe and Jane Mainstreet just don’t comprehend what it can do for them, or know it even exists.

Its price has been cut to $35,000 and incentives are available, but growth has not been what it has been for Nissan’s all-electric Leaf, which during 2012 lagged the Volt, but for the last year and a half has set records trending upward. For July Nissan reported its second-best Leaf sales of 3,019.

The Volt may also be doing only so well now as it is expected to be replaced with a second-generation product. GM has said nothing much about it officially, and has left speculators guessing whether it wil get much more EV range, or not.

According to GM Authority, Chevrolet may make an announcement next week for a reveal by end of 2014 of the 2016 Volt.

Helping the present Volt, the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety did just rank it as a Top Safety Pick+. It faired acceptably in the tough small overlap test which smashes a car head-on into the driver’s half to simulate a solid clipping of something immovable.

Nissan faired only poorly with the crash dummy experiencing potentially more injuries.

Whether this will have much bearing on consumer choices is debatable, but Nissan is promoting free public charger access for two years to new Leaf buyers, while enjoying new eastern state subsides that have added to its appeal.

GM showed the MPV5 early on but never built it or other potential plug-in cars.

Surveying the big picture, GM’s McNeil noted fleet sales were up 69 percent, consumer sales are also on the rise, and shoppers are not as worried about fuel prices, while employment is reportedly improved.

And, said McNeil, trucks carried the day.

“In particular, there is a lot of pent-up demand for our new large SUVs and we expect pickup deliveries to be strong, as they usually are in the second half of the year.”

In other news, Autoblog reported Mitsubishi says thus far it has sold 33,000 of its Outlander plug-in hybrid SUV with e-range comparable to the Volt. It’s done this without even entering the U.S. market with it yet, and is expected in the U.S. next year.

This vehicle that was launched two years after the Volt is approaching half of the Volt/Ampera sales. GM in 2010 showed an MPV5 Crossover SUV concept based around the Volt, but has done nothing with Voltec except build the Cadillac ELR.

GM is actually canceling the Ampera for Europe, and has announced no trucks or larger vehicles that could save fuel like the Volt, and develop economies of scale.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/july-chevy-volt-sales-float-up-with-rising-gm-sales-tide/feed/02015 Cadillac ELR Expected To Get More Electric Rangehttp://www.hybridcars.com/2015-cadillac-elr-expected-to-get-more-electric-range/
http://www.hybridcars.com/2015-cadillac-elr-expected-to-get-more-electric-range/#commentsThu, 17 Jul 2014 04:44:35 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=169641Cadillac has struggled to sell the 2014 ELR this year, is now quietly offering around $12,500 in rebates, and discounting, and its 16.5-kwh battery will be replaced with a 17.1-kwh pack like the Chevy Volt just got. It’s believed this should net an incremental range increase, and might even help MPGe as a similar increase […]

]]>Cadillac has struggled to sell the 2014 ELR this year, is now quietly offering around $12,500 in rebates, and discounting, and its 16.5-kwh battery will be replaced with a 17.1-kwh pack like the Chevy Volt just got.

It’s believed this should net an incremental range increase, and might even help MPGe as a similar increase from 16.0 kwh to 16.5 kwh did for the 2013 Volt.

The timing for the ELR’s battery upgrade will be in a few months when the ELR sees its change-over from 2014 model year specificaton to 2015, according to an industry source with knowledge of the matter.

As the General Motors flagship plug-in product, the ELR presently lags behind the Chevy Volt upon which its powertrain is based.

The Volt is near the end of its product life cycle, having been launched as a 2011, but the ELR – questionably timed or not – began its sales life at the beginning of this year.

General Motors said it decided against re-certifying the upgraded Volt with the EPA because it did not think it necessary, but GM does say the Volt ought to have more range – thus the ELR ought to as well, when its pack is upgraded.

Sales An Issue

Cadillac dealer inventories are now high, and calendar year through end of June, the automaker has sold just 390 examples of the $76,000-and-up car.

This lags behind the also flagging, more prestigious, $99,000-plus Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid with its 481 units, not-surprisingly trails 8,615 Volts sold, and looks like next to nothing compared to the estimated 8,200 sales for the Tesla Model S.

Even before the ELR was launched by dealers in January this year, GM received blistering criticism for pricing the ELR – a compact, four seater – for more than double the Volt.

Official Cadillac offers. Unofficially, you should call a dealer if interested.

In its defense, the vehicle has a finely appointed interior, latest-spec design language, improved suspension and other components, and as an extended-range EV, it has more electric range than anything except the Volt.

But not only did GM not advertise the Volt’s battery upgrade, GM also is not advertising $12,500 in Cadillac dealer rebates to buyers of the ELR.

Before its price was announced last year, critics and fans alike had guessed the ELR ought to cost in the 50s or 60s.

They were way off, but now it can effectively be had for that – depending also on whether one recoups the entire $7,500 federal tax credit, and perhaps also state incentives for a couple thousand more, or so.

Also, various dealers around the country are taking it upon themselves to offer a low-priced lease deal. Officially Cadillac’s lease is $699 per month, not bad for a nearly $80,000 car, but dealers asking various amounts down are offering a $499 lease.

Cadillac also throws in a Bosch level two home charging unit, and pays for up to $3,000 in installation costs.

Where Is This Going?

The ELR was based on the 2009 Cadillac Converj, and closely resembles it, albeit as a 2014. It’s based on the Volt, itself a great product, if not also under-appreciated in some circles, and basically, the ELR is a pinnacle above the Volt.

When the Volt is overhauled, possibly for 2016 – though this is not confirmed by GM – the ELR may again look lagging.

Will it carry forward a half year or so as it is now before a redesign, or how will that play out? If it’s a tough sell now costing double the old Volt, how will it fare with the new Volt, and what ever else the competition eventually brings along?

These and more questions are up in the air, but do not be surprised to see the ELR’s battery spec brought up to the Volt come model year changover time.

It is after all, GM’s “tech halo,” so how can they let the Volt upstage it in any way?

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/2015-cadillac-elr-expected-to-get-more-electric-range/feed/0Will GM Launch Multiple Chevy Volt Spinoffs?http://www.hybridcars.com/will-gm-launch-multiple-chevy-volt-spinoffs/
http://www.hybridcars.com/will-gm-launch-multiple-chevy-volt-spinoffs/#commentsMon, 07 Apr 2014 15:24:58 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=138825More likely to be known sooner is whether anonymous reports are correct that General Motors will invest $450 million and add 1,400 new jobs and a second shift to its Detroit-Hamtramck plant which produces the Volt. If so, this should be revealed tomorrow at an Automotive Press Association luncheon, wrote the Detroit News on Saturday, […]

]]>More likely to be known sooner is whether anonymous reports are correct that General Motors will invest $450 million and add 1,400 new jobs and a second shift to its Detroit-Hamtramck plant which produces the Volt.

If so, this should be revealed tomorrow at an Automotive Press Association luncheon, wrote the Detroit News on Saturday, which quoted a Michigan analyst with some sketchy speculation about other “electric” and “plug-in” variants.

Tomorrow, said four sources, GM’s VP of North America manufacturing, Gerald Johnson is expected to make the announcement of increased dedication to GM’s Volt producing plant.

One anonymous source said the second shift at Detroit-Hamtramck would be added next year, and another source said the investment is focused also on battery technologies, but unclear was whether more jobs would be added at the Brownstown plant where Volt batteries are assembled.

About 100 are now employed at the 406,000-square foot Brownstown facility.

New ‘Electric’ and ‘Plug-In’ Cars?

The Detroit News also interviewed Jeff Schuster, an analyst with LMC Automotive in Troy, who said he expects the new Volt to begin production in fall 2015.

Schuster said he also believes GM will add another compact Volt-based “electric vehicle” — with a lower electric range — also to be built at Detroit-Hamtramck.

Unclear however is that Schuster talks about an “electric vehicle” as distinguished from a “plug-in version.”

“They’re looking to take the Volt in kind of a split personality and have a plug-in version and likely a more affordable electric version,” he said.

The Detroit News did not clarify what the difference is between an “electric” car and a “plug-in” car.

“Schuster said he expects a new electric vehicle would have a shorter range than the plug-in version,” wrote the Detroit News, “but with a lower price, to reach more consumers.”

The Volt is a “plug-in” car but then again, so probably would be any “electric vehicle” assuming this term its being used even close to correctly, and saying it has less range is vague too.

Brownstown plant.

Assuming they mean less electric range, and not total gas-plus-electric range, the “lower price” car called an “electric vehicle” could not be a pure battery electric vehicle.

It sounds more like Schuster is talking about a (plug-in) Voltec with a smaller battery, as no pure BEV would have less than the Volt’s 38 miles EV range.

GM spokesperson Katie McBride declined to comment, and this other car speculaton may not be disclosed Tuesday assuming the general investment and jobs news is announced.

The report otherwise hints at the continued commitment to a second-generation Volt even though details of the money to be invested by GM, extra shift, and “electric” vehicle as distinguished from a “plug in” vehicle are not clear.

Also not clear is whether the new Volt will get more than 38 miles. Schuster guessed GM will add some, but how much, if any, is a “wild card.”

Speculation was also offered on GM’s desire to compete with Tesla when the California EV maker brings its Gen 3 car to market.

Schuster guessed GM may develop a variety of battery and range options for a future GM alternative to Tesla at varying price points.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/will-gm-launch-multiple-chevy-volt-spinoffs/feed/0New ELR Ad Appears Less Upsetting Than ‘Poolside’http://www.hybridcars.com/new-elr-ad-appears-less-upsetting-than-poolside/
http://www.hybridcars.com/new-elr-ad-appears-less-upsetting-than-poolside/#commentsMon, 24 Mar 2014 13:36:53 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=135185General Motors’ Cadillac ELR may not be as perceptibly “disruptive” as the Tesla Model S, but its last commercial sure ruffled some tail feathers while the latest is decidedly more benign. Posted by the automaker last Thursday, the new ad explains the Cadillac with slightly modified Chevy Volt powertrain with serene visuals and a simple […]

]]>General Motors’ Cadillac ELR may not be as perceptibly “disruptive” as the Tesla Model S, but its last commercial sure ruffled some tail feathers while the latest is decidedly more benign.

Posted by the automaker last Thursday, the new ad explains the Cadillac with slightly modified Chevy Volt powertrain with serene visuals and a simple message that could nearly just as well have been about the Volt.

General Motor’s Executive Chief Engineer for Electric Vehicles Pamela Fletcher does the explaining, and the difference for the $76,000 Caddy is it’s a foray into the upscale market.

One of the Volt’s key benefits – no range anxiety – is portrayed as a luxury for the Cadillac buyer who also wants to treat him or herself to the well appointed materials, styling, and improved ride.

“Luxury is all about having options, without making compromises,” says Fletcher.

Is it a “compromise” to have an all-electric car like the similarly priced 60-kwh Tesla Model S instead?

Arguably, sure. Others would say not so much.

Will this be an effective advertisement for the ELR?

So far it has just shy of 2,600 views. The controversial “Poolside” ad launched Feb. 7 has over 1.06 million views – but then its ratio of thumbs down to thumbs up indicates a far-more mixed approval rating despite the number of eyeballs it attracted.

This latest just stays on message and avoids the tactic of upsetting people in an attempt to go viral.